Copyright

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 12 March 2013, Official Report, column 173W, on copyright, which representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises he has met to discuss the regulatory effect of the modernising copyright proposals in the last year; if he will publish the (a) agenda and (b) minutes of any such meetings; and whether the issue of increased costs of litigation as a result of the modernising copyright proposals was discussed at such meetings.

Jo Swinson: Ministers in this Department have met a range of stakeholders, including representatives from the creative industries, on a number of occasions to discuss copyright issues including the Modernising Copyright proposals. A range of issues of interest to the relevant stakeholders were discussed. The Government has no plans to publish the agenda or minutes of these meetings.
	The Government has introduced measures to reduce the costs of litigation on intellectual property issues through the Patents County Court, including caps on costs and damages and a new small claims track for simple cases.

Overseas Trade: Russia

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what assessment has been made of the factors which tend to inhibit UK businesses from seeking to operate in the Russian market; what assessment has been made of the extent to which the risks assessed by UK businesses are well-founded; and what he is doing to encourage UK businesses to venture into the Russian market.

Michael Fallon: Russia presents significant opportunities for UK business. It is the world's leading energy producer and its 9(th) largest economy. The Russian Government's economy modernisation and infrastructure development agenda is underpinned by 140 million consumers' appetite for quality services and goods.
	Through the Overseas Business Risk service UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) have brought together authoritative, accessible and topical information on Russia, and the key issues related to the political, economic and business security environments.
	http://www.ukti.gov.uk/export/countries/europe/easterneurope/russia/overseasbusinessrisk.html
	There are difficulties associated with doing business in Russia with corruption often cited as the major concern. However, although Russia is ranked 112(th) on the World Bank's “ease of doing business” index (up this year from 120(th)) it compares relatively favourably with other BRIC markets: Brazil is 130(th) and India 132(nd).
	UK companies should not be afraid of doing business in Russia. Neither should they, however, assume that business is done the same way in Russia as it is done within the European Union. UK Trade and Investment is a good source of information and advice which can help unlock potential opportunities in this market. UKTI has clear targets to assist increasing number of British businesses trading with Russia and to promote the UK's reputation as a trade and investment partner. At a strategic level the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), also co-chairs the annual UK-Russia Intergovernmental Steering Committee with First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov.

Post Offices: Yorkshire and the Humber

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills how many operational post offices there were in (a) Brigg and Goole constituency and (b) Yorkshire and the Humber in each of the last 10 years.

Jo Swinson: Post Office Ltd is responsible for operational matters concerning the post office network, which includes the information requested. I have therefore asked Paula Vennells, the chief executive of Post Office Ltd, to respond directly to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Crimes of Violence: Females

Pat Glass: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations she has received from women's organisations on tackling violence against women.

Damian Green: The Government works closely with women's organisations to ensure our strategy to end violence against women and girls identifies, protects and supports victims.

Human Trafficking

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will recommend that fighting modern-day slavery is made a strategic priority for police forces.

Mark Harper: The Secretary of State for the Home Department, my right hon. Friend the Member for Maidenhead (Mrs May), set out in the Strategic Policing Requirement that fighting organised crime must be a priority for all police forces. While it is for police and crime commissioners to determine local policing priorities, they must have regard to this requirement. The requirement sets out the threats that the police must address and the appropriate national policing capabilities required to counter those threats, respecting the operational independence of the police.
	I expect all forces to treat human trafficking extremely seriously.

Findus

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he intends to meet Mr Dale Morrison of Findus to discuss that company's response to the contamination of meat products.

David Heath: The discovery of horse DNA in products labelled as beef is completely unacceptable. Findus were represented at the meeting held by the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 18 February with food industry leaders. At that meeting it was agreed that food businesses and Government had to work together to restore consumer confidence in the UK food industry.
	It is the responsibility of food businesses across the supply chain to ensure that food is correctly described and ingredients are as stated on the label. Investigations into cases where horsemeat has been discovered will continue.

Livestock: Transport

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what records his Department holds on the number of sheep which have died at the port of Ramsgate since September 2012; and what assessment he has made of the fitness for purpose of that port for the export of live animals.

David Heath: Since the 12 September 2012 incident, one sheep was euthanized in October on veterinary advice at the port of Ramsgate.
	Article 22 and 23 of Council Regulation 1/2005 require the Competent Authority to ensure that there are arrangements in place to deal with emergencies, if they occur, at the port of Ramsgate. There is no requirement under the regulation for the port to have animal handling facilities. Animal Health Veterinary Laboratories Agency staff are present at the port for all sailings and will invoke emergency procedures if required.

Meat

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of (a) beef, (b) lamb, (c) pork and (d) bacon used by each Government department comes from British sources.

David Heath: DEFRA does not have figures relating to the sourcing of food by each Government Department. However, figures relating to DEFRA's own contract show that between July and December last year 100% of (a) beef, (b) lamb, and (c) uncured pork was UK sourced or produced. Bacon was sourced from the UK and the European Union.

Wind Power: Seas and Oceans

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are required in UK waters to reduce the impact from noise attributable to windfarm construction on wildlife protected by the EU Habitats Directive.

Richard Benyon: An assessment of predicted noise impacts from the construction of offshore wind farms on receptors, including marine wildlife, is undertaken as part of the environmental impact assessment process. This outcome is documented in an environmental statement that applicants are required to submit to support their application.
	The application is widely consulted upon with advisors, including the Statutory Nature Conservation Bodies and the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science that have a specialist understanding of the implications of noise on marine receptors.
	Depending on the outcome of the assessment and responses received, noise mitigation measures may be added as licence conditions to ensure that noise is reduced to acceptable limits.

Broadband

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 18 December 2012, Official Report, column 683W, on mobile telephones, when in the spring she expects to appoint a supplier for the Mobile Infrastructure Project.

Edward Vaizey: The Department are in the final stage of the Mobile Infrastructure Project and expect to award the MIP provider contract in early May.

Public Expenditure

Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the Financial Statement of 20 March 2013, Official Report, column 935, how her Department intends to cut one per cent from its budget.

Hugh Robertson: Almost all Department for Culture, Media and Sport funding is passed directly to our arm's length bodies. We will be discussing with our bodies what this means in practice. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Basingstoke (Maria Miller), has always been clear, however, that she expects the frontline services, which the public value, to be protected as far as possible, and for savings to be made through efficiencies and from ending lower value activity.

Central America

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to co-ordinate the work of his Department with that of the Department for International Development in Central America; and if he will make a statement.

Hugo Swire: The Department for International Development (DFID) no longer has a bilateral aid programme in Central America. This is in line with the Government's decision to focus its aid activity on a small number of the poorest and most fragile states where the UK is well-placed to make a significant impact. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials are nonetheless in contact with DFID about work in Central America on a case by case basis.

Colombia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on progress being made in the Colombian peace talks.

Hugo Swire: We strongly welcome President Santos's decision to enter into peace negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). It brings the hope of sustainable peace for all Colombians after decades of conflict.
	The latest round of talks started on Friday 15 March in Cuba. The two negotiating teams are working to a five point agenda, the first of which is rural development. The agenda recognises that the historic injustices suffered by vulnerable groups need to be addressed to bring about sustainable peace.
	On 1 March, government negotiators in Havana gave an update on the status of the talks and announced that important progress had been made on the first agenda point. The FARC's chief negotiator has recognised that the process has advanced further than any previous peace process in Colombia.

Cyprus

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the UK's sovereign base areas in Cyprus have a territorial water and a claim to a continental shelf; and if he will make a submission to the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, in accordance with article 76, paragraph 8, of the United Nations convention on the law of the sea on this matter.

David Lidington: The adjacent territorial sea boundaries between the two sovereign base areas and the Republic of Cyprus are defined in Annex A of the treaty concerning the establishment of the Republic of Cyprus, 19 August 1960. Presently, both sovereign base areas claim a territorial sea out to three nautical miles but we have reserved our rights to claim up to 12 nautical miles on their behalf, as provided for under the UN convention on the law of the sea (UNCLOS).

Diplomatic Service

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in which countries and embassies the UK has (a) decreased the number of diplomats and (b) closed diplomatic posts since May 2010.

David Lidington: I refer to the statement on Britain's future diplomatic network made by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), to the House on 11 May 2011, Official Report, columns 1165-68. In line with that statement, we have reduced our diplomatic footprint in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in some European subordinate posts outside capital cities.
	We have not closed any sovereign Posts. The following diplomatic posts have closed since May 2010:
	
		
			 Date Country Post 
			 September 2011 France Lille Consulate General 
			 June 2012 France Lyon Consulate General closed (re-opened as a trade office) 
			 December 2011 Italy Florence Consulate 
			 September 2011 Italy Venice Consulate General 
			 October 2010 Switzerland Geneva Consulate General 
			 December 2012 Iraq Basra Consulate General (British Embassy Office remains) 
		
	
	Operations in Iran and Syria have been suspended for security reasons.

Maldives

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the concerns raised by the UN Special Rapporteur on Independence of Judges and Lawyers about the trial of former President Mohamed Nasheed in the Maldives.

Alistair Burt: We welcome the statement from the UN Special Rapporteur on the Independence of Judges and Lawyers, Gabriela Knaul, following her visit to Maldives. This statement urged the Maldivian Government to address a number of challenges hampering the functioning of the justice system in Maldives. These included concerns on the appointment of judges, training and education for individuals in the justice system, and transparency. We share many of the concerns expressed, and urge all parties to work together in order to implement these, and other reforms identified by the Commission of National Inquiry in order to strengthen democratic institutions in Maldives. We look forward with interest to the exploration of these issues in a detailed written report which will be presented to the Human Rights Council session in May.
	The Government has consistently urged all parties to work together to implement reforms highlighted by the Commission of National Inquiry, including those designed to strengthen the judiciary. In my statement of 6 March, I urged all parties to work together to find a solution which would allow for genuinely free, fair, and inclusive elections, and outlined our view that all parties should be able to contest elections with a candidate of their choice. This includes former President Nasheed, should he be selected as a candidate by his party.

Maldives

Karen Lumley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of the Maldives on the arrest and forthcoming trial of former President Mohamed Nasheed.

Alistair Burt: The Government is monitoring events closely following the recent arrest and detention of former President Nasheed in Maldives. The former President was released after his hearing, and his trial has been postponed until 4 April. We look to the Maldivian authorities to ensure that due process is followed, and that proceedings are fair and transparent. We urge all parties to remain calm and to act responsibly. Our high commissioner and officials remain in regular contact with Maldives Government.
	I made a statement on 6 March following former President Nasheed's hearing, which outlined our view that all parties should be able to contest elections with the candidate of their choice. This includes former President Nasheed, should he be selected as a candidate by his party. During my visit to Maldives last month, I outlined the same points in my meetings with the President, Foreign Minister, and other political leaders. We believe that if the chosen candidates of all parties are not permitted to participate in the Presidential election in September, the credibility of the outcome will be irreparably damaged. We hope all involved will to work together to find a solution which would allow for genuinely free, fair, and inclusive elections, and ensure all are able to campaign without hindrance.

Middle East

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Government plans to reinvigorate the Deauville partnership to ensure that economic support is available to countries in transition.

Alistair Burt: The Deauville Partnership plays an important role in supporting the transitions under way in the Middle East and North Africa. Under the UK presidency we are working with Deauville Partners to help catalyse inclusive economic growth, and enable greater economic opportunities for youth and women in transition countries. We are doing this by providing practical support focused on delivery and impact on the ground. We are increasing the role of the private sector in all of our activities under the Deauville Partnership, as a key to delivering sustainable growth. Work on eight priority areas this year which will aim to bolster strong economic growth in the transition countries:
	1. Promoting investment opportunities in transition countries, through convening a major international investment conference to showcase opportunities, encourage policy reforms to the investment climate and bring together interested businesses.
	2. Trade: We will encourage further movement on opening markets as well as exploring practical steps to address other barriers to trade.
	3. Supporting Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): We are working with the International Financial Institutions to help develop SMEs in the region and are running an SME mentoring scheme to support entrepreneurship.
	4. Supporting women's economic participation: We will integrate a focus on the role of women throughout all of our work and host a conference to recognise and boost the role of women in Arab economies.
	5. Support expansion of European Bank of Reconstruction and Development's mandate: This will make up to €2.5 billion per year available in private sector finance available in transition countries.
	6. Ensuring recovery of stolen assets: We will make sure there is an effective international response to stolen assets, by encouraging work which disseminates knowledge, facilitates and coordinates international cooperation and builds capacity in transition countries.
	7. Greater access to private capital: We will continue to support greater state and private sector access to private capital to finance critical investments.
	8. Providing practical assistance through a Transition Fund set up during last year's US presidency. Through this we will ensure delivery of technical assistance in implementing economic reform in transition countries.

Palestinians

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what recent representations the British (a) Ambassador to Israel and (b) Consul General in Jerusalem have made to the Palestinian Authority about incitement;
	(2)  what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority on fulfilling its Road Map commitment to end incitement against Israel.

Alistair Burt: Our officials raise instances of incitement with both the Palestinian Authority and Israel whenever we feel this appropriate. There is a profound need for both the Israeli and Palestinian sides to do more to promote a positive portrayal of each other, reflecting the principles of co-existence, tolerance, justice and human dignity. However, the British Government believes that the track record of President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad shows they are genuinely committed to a non-violent pursuit of a two state solution.

Palestinians

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the (a) treatment and (b) position of Christians in the Palestinian territories.

Alistair Burt: The Government places a high priority on the right to freedom of religion for all.
	The UK is not aware of specific legal restrictions placed upon Christians in Gaza or the west bank to practise their religion. However, we remain deeply concerned about restrictions on freedom of movement. Palestinian Christian communities are primarily concentrated in Bethlehem, Ramallah and East Jerusalem. Travel by Palestinians between these places remains very difficult due to Israeli restrictions on freedom of movement. Palestinian Christians may also, like Palestinians of other faiths, face other restrictions as a result of the policies of the respective authorities exercising control over the occupied Palestinian Territories.
	The Government regularly discusses these issues with religious leaders of all faiths, and with the relevant authorities, including raising specific cases as appropriate and discussing ways of protecting holy sites across the occupied Palestinian Territories.

Cancer

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of those eligible did not receive a cancer care review within six months of receiving confirmation of their diagnosis since the programme's inception.

Anna Soubry: Cancer reviews are carried out under the Quality and Outcomes Framework (QOF), which is a voluntary part of the general practitioners (GPs) contract. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are responsible for keeping QOF indicators under review and making recommendations for changes.
	There has been a cancer review indicator in QOF since its inception in 2004. The following table, provided by the Health and Social Care Information Centre, sets out achievement levels.
	Please note that in 2004-05 and 2005-06 a slightly, differently worded indicator (‘Cancer 2’) with a larger diagnosis window was in force, though both ‘Cancer 2’ and its successor ‘Cancer 3’ refer to the review occurring within six months of confirmed diagnosis. Exceptions data were not reported in 2004-05, hence the missing figures in the table.
	
		
			  Numerator Exceptions Denominator Underlying achievement, net of exceptions (numerator/denominator)(2) % of patients for which indicator was not achieved (100% underlying achievement) % of patients receiving the intervention (numerator/exceptions + denominator)(3) % of patients for which indicator was not achieved (including exceptions) (100% of patients receiving the intervention) 
			 2011-12 144,360 2,364 154,708 93.3 6.7 91.9 8.1 
			 2010-11 136,136 2,296 145,336 93.7 6.3 92.2 7.8 
			 2009-10 128,374 2,151 137,863 93.1 6.9 91.7 8.3 
			 2008-09 127,432 1,963 136,164 93.6 6.4 92.3 7.7 
			         
			 2007-08 122,603 4,883 130,845 93.7 6.3 90.3 9.7 
			 2006-07 132,720 5,336 140,548 94.4 5.6 91.0 9.0 
			 2005-06(1) 319,316 33,693 353,112 90.4 9.6 82.6 17.4 
			 2004-05(1) 208,212 n/a 246,348 84.5 15.5 n/a n/a 
			 (1 )Cancer 2 indicator applied in 2004-05 and 2005-06. (2) Underlying Achievement is the measure by which practices are awarded QOF points score, based on this figure measured against the defined achievement thresholds. (3) This measure was introduced in 2011-12 to provide greater context to Underlying Achievement figures. It includes exceptions in the calculation, and thus covers all patients to whom the indicator applies, regardless of exception status. This measure is not part of the QOF payment process.

Cancer: Drugs

Bob Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the benefits patients have derived from receiving drugs through the Cancer Drugs Fund; and how many additional patient years of life, taking account of the published QUALY benefits, have resulted from each of the drugs provided through the fund.

Norman Lamb: The Cancer Drugs Fund was launched on 1 April 2011 to help thousands of cancer patients access the drugs their clinicians believe will help them. We also made an additional £50 million available to strategic health authorities in 2010-11. This funding has so far helped over 28,000 patients in England to access the additional cancer drugs their clinicians recommend.
	A clinical audit of the drugs provided through the Cancer Drugs Fund is being carried out by the Chemotherapy Intelligence Unit at the Oxford Registry and we expect them to report preliminary data later this year. The audit will provide an opportunity to assess the benefits of the Fund for patient outcomes and build the evidence base for the future.

Chemotherapy

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence has made in developing a quality standard for chemotherapy.

Norman Lamb: The topic 'cancer chemotherapy' is in the core library of quality standards referred to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). We understand from NICE that this topic has not yet been scheduled into its work programme.

Furness Hospital

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  on how many occasions the oncology unit at Furness General Hospital was operating at full capacity in terms of beds in each of the last five years;
	(2)  what the average occupancy rate of beds was in the oncology unit at Furness General Hospital in each of the last five years.

Anna Soubry: This information is not collected centrally. This information may be obtained from the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust directly.

Hospitals: Closures

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued to NHS Trusts on the management of situations where buildings or equipment which have been funded by community charitable donations are proposed for closure.

Norman Lamb: The Department has not issued specific guidance on the issues raised. Only general guidance is given in departmental publications ‘Health Building Note 00-08: Estatecode’ and ‘NHS funds held on trust: guidance on acceptance, management and transfer of charitable funds for NHS bodies’. A copy of these documents have been placed in the Library.

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what representations he has received on the effectiveness of the Government's strategy for the diagnosing of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis;
	(2)  what plans the Government has to develop additional advice to accompany the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease action plan to reduce misdiagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Anna Soubry: Since 1 September 2012, the Department has received one item of correspondence, no parliamentary questions and held no ministerial meetings on the diagnosing of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). The Government does not have a strategy for the diagnosing of IPF as this is a clinical matter.
	From 1 April, Government discretion on clinical issues will be limited to referring subjects to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and to setting ambitions for national health service performance through the Mandate provided to the NHS Commissioning Board. The Government has already referred the diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) to NICE as a priority subject for a clinical guideline and this guideline is due to be published in June 2013.

Learning Disability

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to ensure that there is local support for adults with moderate to mild learning difficulties;
	(2)  how much has been allocated to help individuals with moderate to mild learning difficulties in the last five years;
	(3)  how much has been allocated to help individuals with moderate to mild learning difficulties in the London borough of Havering in the last five years.

Norman Lamb: Many people with mild learning disabilities are able to live independent lives and contribute fully to their communities without requiring care and support from Government. However, those that do have care and support needs are supported by their local authorities through the adult social care system if they meet eligibility criteria.
	Local services such as adult social care are not run from Whitehall, and it is for local authorities to choose how best to use their available funding. Central Government does not dictate to councils how much they should spend on adult social care, or how this should be divided between people with different care needs. Local authorities are best placed to make these prioritisation decisions based on local pressures and priorities, and councils have made it clear that this allows them to deliver better outcomes and more efficient services.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government collects data on expenditure by service from all local authorities. This data is publicly available on at:
	www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing
	The Department of Health has also published the Adult Social Care Outcomes Framework, which supports councils by providing a clear focus for local priority setting and improvement. This includes enhancing the quality of life for people with care and support needs, such as those adults with learning disability who require care and support, and includes measures on adults with a learning disability in paid employment and adults with a learning disability who live in their own home or with their family.

Mental Health: Young People

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ask the Office for National Statistics to update its report from 2004 Mental Health of Children and Young People based on the 2011 Census.

Norman Lamb: We have no such plans currently in place. However, the Children and Young People's Health Outcomes Forum recommended in its report published last year that a survey be developed to support measurement of outcomes for children and young people with mental health problems. In “Improving Children and Young People’s Health Outcomes: a system wide response”, published in February 2013, we said that the Department would be working with partners to develop a programme of work to explore detailed options and development costs to implement new or extend existing data sources and measures. This programme of work will consider surveys to look at mental health in children and young people, among other options.

NHS: Finance

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual NHS spend is on (a) medical staff, (b) nursing staff, (c) other staff, (d) supplies, (e) overheads, (f) building and estate costs and (g) other running and maintenance costs of operating theatres.

Norman Lamb: The information requested is not available. Such information as is available is provided in the following table. The figures are for 2011-12, the latest period for which data is available.
	
		
			 £000 
			  Medical staff Nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff(1) Other staff Supplies and services Overheads Building and estate costs 
			 NHS Trusts 4,648,136 6,972,582 8,088,131 5,111,270 941,057 598,563 
			 Primary Care Trusts 151,453 369,285 1,807,577 355,486 407,261 279,075 
			 Strategic Health Authorities 17,541 639 239,231 6,656 20,151 8,044 
			 Total 4,817,130 7,342,506 10,134,939 5,473,412 1,368,469 885,682 
			 (1) It is not possible to separately identify "nursing staff" from "nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff". Notes: 1. The Department does not collect data from NHS foundation trusts. Where an NHS trust obtains foundation trust status part way through any year, the data provided is only for the part of the year the organisation operated as an NHS trust. 2. Information on running and maintenance costs of operating theatres is not collected centrally.

School Milk

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Stevenage of 6 March 2013, Official Report, column 1086W, on school milk, whether the European School Milk Scheme was open to early years settings, including Ofsted registered settings, prior to 2008; what EU rules changed in 2008 that extended the European School Milk Scheme to early years settings; and for which breaches of the EU requirements the Government was asked to return £2,641,271.08 to the European Commission in 2010.

David Heath: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
	Approved applicants were able to claim under the European School Milk Scheme for nurseries linked to primary schools prior to 2008. The EU rules were amended in 2008, from which time access to the scheme was granted to all early years settings.
	The Government decided to return the £2,641,271.08 because there were concerns over nursery settings' ability to comply in full with onerous EU record keeping requirements.

Sheep Meat

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when (a) the Food Standards Agency and (b) Ministers were informed of the discovery of 57 tonnes of British mutton at the Spanghero factory in France.

Anna Soubry: The Food Standards Agency (FSA) was first alerted to the French authorities' initial findings at the French company Spanghero by the United Kingdom Deputy Chief Veterinary Officer on 22 February 2013. This started an immediate investigation which is ongoing. The FSA was formally notified by France through the EU Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) system on 27 February 2013.
	The FSA informed me on 20 March 2013. As regards Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) Ministers, this issue was first included in a ministerial briefing pack for (DEFRA) oral questions on 7 March 2013, but the issue was raised substantively on 18 March when officials provided briefing for David Heath, Minister of State for Agriculture and Food.
	FSA inspectors had visited Central Food Services on several occasions after the UK moratorium came into effect on 28 April 2012. The evidence disclosed at these visits, including documentary evidence and full inspections of the entire premises, indicated that unused DSM produced from ruminant bones, prohibited under the moratorium, had been disposed of as animal by-products in accordance with the terms of the moratorium.
	However, evidence uncovered at the visits carried out after the information was received from the French authorities has confirmed that Central Food Services dispatched a number of consignments of desinewed lamb to Spanghero in breach of the moratorium after the moratorium had commenced.
	The FSA continues to investigate the extent of the breach. To date there is nothing to suggest that Central Food Services, or any other business, manufactured DSM from ruminant bones after the moratorium commenced. There is also no evidence to suggest any link with the horse meat issue, beyond the involvement of Spanghero.

Surgery

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total annual reference costs are for all surgical procedures in the NHS.

Norman Lamb: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Annual reference costs are collected from national health service trusts and NHS foundation trusts by health care resource group (HRG). HRGs are standard groupings of clinically similar treatments which use similar levels of health care resource, and may be distinguished as either diagnosis driven (where there are no major procedure codes in the patient record) or procedure driven.
	The total cost of all procedure driven HRGs in admitted patient care or out-patient settings in 2011-12 reference costs is estimated at approximately £13 billion. It is not possible to distinguish between surgical and non-surgical procedures from within this amount.
	A list of the procedure driven HRGs used to inform this estimate has been placed in the Library.

Armed Forces: Pay

Thomas Docherty: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the cost of implementing the x-factor element of the armed forces' pay review body's forty-second report 2013 by each rank to which it applies.

Mark Francois: The estimated total cost of implementing the X factor element of the armed forces' pay review body's (AFPRB) 2013 report is some £33 million for 11 months of financial year 2013-14 and £36 million per year thereafter. Rates of pay for each rank, including the 0.5% X factor increase are set out in the AFPRB's 2013 report, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

Armed Forces: Scotland

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Scottish-based service personnel serving in the infantry are liable for redundancy under tranche 3; and at what ranks such service personnel are.

Mark Francois: An individual's unit or where they are stationed is not a factor in the decision to select Service personnel for redundancy.
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 19 March 2013, Official Report, column 644W. As part of the January 2013 redundancy announcement for tranche 3 that earmarked 5,300 posts, 654 Infantry personnel between the ranks of Private and Corporal are liable for selection for redundancy.

Military Bases

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any 105mm light guns will be based in Scotland following the basing review.

Mark Francois: Following the outcome of the regular Army basing plan announced on 5 March 2013, Official Report, columns 845-48, 105mm light guns will continue to be based in Scotland with 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery 7 (Sphinx) Commando Battery Royal Artillery at Royal Marines Condor, Arbroath.
	A small number of 105mm light guns are also held in Scotland for ceremonial purposes.
	The future location of any 105mm light guns with Army reserve units remains subject to the reserves announcement which is due before the summer recess.

Military Bases

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2013, Official Report, column 78W, on the Army Basing Plan, what overall valuation of the announced land disposals consequent on the Army Basing Review has been made for the purposes of his Department's budgetary planning.

Mark Francois: Although the disposal of some sites formed part of the announcement, details of any pre-sale valuations obtained in advance of land disposals will not be released as to do so could unduly influence the market.

Military Bases: Scotland

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the outcome of the Basing Review on the Defence Medical Services in Scotland.

Mark Francois: The provision of healthcare by the Defence Medical Services in Scotland should not be adversely affected by the Basing review. Healthcare provided at Defence medical and dental centres in Scotland will be adjusted if required to ensure service personnel continue to receive the highest standard of care.

Military Police: Edinburgh

Michael Crockart: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his oral statement of 5 March 2013, Official Report, columns 845-63W, on Army Basing Plan, whether Royal Military Police based at Edinburgh Castle will be moved in consequence of the Army Basing Plan; and where they will be based after any such move.

Mark Francois: There are no current plans to move the Royal Military Police based at Edinburgh Castle.

United Arab Emirates

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of deploying 906 Expeditionary Air Wing at Al Minhad air base;
	(2)  what (a) assets and (b) munitions are deployed to Al Minhad air base;
	(3)  how many personnel are deployed to Al Minhad air base as part of (a) the 906 Expeditionary Air Wing and (b) other operations.

Andrew Robathan: 906 Expeditionary Air Wing, based at Al Minhad in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), provides support to air transport links between the UK and operations in Afghanistan. The wing has a secondary role supporting RAF aircraft conducting joint exercises in the region such as the RAF's Tornado, Typhoon and E-3D Sentry aircraft which regularly exercise with Gulf Cooperation Council members.
	The number of assets and munitions deployed, either for exercises or supporting operations, is constantly changing depending on the activity at the time. There are currently a number of Tornado aircraft deployed to the UAE supporting the biannual advanced tactical leadership course which involves aircrew from Gulf Cooperation Council partners as well as RAF and US personnel. In addition a C-17 aircraft is currently deployed to Al Minhad supporting operations in Afghanistan. There are around 100 UK personnel currently deployed to the UAE on operations, including those at Al Minhad air base as part of 906 Expeditionary Air Wing.
	The precise number of personnel fluctuates on a daily basis for a variety of reasons, including mid-tour rest and recuperation, temporary absence for training, evacuation for medical reasons, the roulement of forces, visits and a range of other factors. We do not, therefore, publish actual figures for personnel deployed on operations and the figure above is rounded to the nearest 50 personnel.
	The approximate cost for 906 Expeditionary Air Wing is £248,000 per month. This figure will fluctuate due to personnel levels changing and exchange rates varying.

Bridges

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions she has had with the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and Minister for Finance in the Northern Ireland Executive on the provision of the required funding for the construction of Narrow Water Bridge between Warrenpoint in County Down and Cooley in County Louth in the Republic of Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The hon. Member will be aware that these are transferred matters that are wholly the responsibility of Northern Ireland Executive Ministers who have not raised them with me or the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers).

Civil Partnerships

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Minister for Women and Equalities 
	(1)  what advice she has received on the financial effect of the extension of civil partnerships to opposite sex couples;
	(2)  whether any of the submissions to her equal civil marriage consultation analysed the financial effect of the extension of civil partnerships to opposite sex couples;
	(3)  whether the Government has conducted an assessment of the potential effects of extending civil partnerships to opposite sex couples.

Helen Grant: holding answer 18 March 2013
	The Government do not have a policy to extend civil partnerships to opposite sex couples and therefore no assessment of the effect, financial or otherwise, of the extension of civil partnerships to opposite sex couples has been conducted.

Prisons: Television

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which prisons award in-cell television privileges for inmates; and what the cost to the public purse has been of such privileges in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Wright: I want to ensure that the public have confidence in the prison system. It is crucial that they are assured that any privileges earned in prison are gained through hard work and appropriate behaviour. I am therefore looking closely at the policy around the incentives scheme for prisoners as I want to be clear that these incentives and privileges, including access to in cell television, are pitched at the right level and that they have credibility with the public. The outcome of the review will be announced in due course.
	Under the current system, access to in cell television is available as a key earnable privilege under the incentives and earned privileges (IEP) scheme in all establishments across England and Wales. Prison Service Instruction 11/2011 refers, a copy of which is available in the House of Commons Library. The IEP scheme must consist of at least three tiers (basic, standard and enhanced). Access to in-cell television is restricted to prisoners who have earned standard or enhanced level, is a forfeitable privilege, and prisoners are charged for use. The provision of in-cell television is self-financing from the rental payments made by prisoners.

Probation

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to Transforming Rehabilitation, whether probation trusts will be excluded from bidding to run services under his plans for the Probation Service.

Jeremy Wright: We remain committed to facilitating an open competition which allows a range of bidders to take part in the new probation services market.
	As set out in our consultation document ‘Transforming Rehabilitation—a revolution in the way we manage offenders’, it remains open for probation staff to put together proposals for potential mutuals and other alternative delivery vehicles to bid to deliver probation services as part of future competitions.
	These employee-led entities or partnerships will only be formally set up following the conclusion of the competition, if they have won a bid or are part of a winning bid. This is to guarantee continuity of service in probation during the transition to new arrangements, and also to ensure that those public sector probation professionals who do come together to enter the bidding process are not disadvantaged if they are not successful.
	Under our proposals we will only contract with entities capable of bearing the financial and operational risks associated with Payment by Results and delivering offender services in the community. Therefore, public sector entities will not be able to bid, as they will not be able to carry the financial risk. Instead staff groups within trusts can work on proposals for alternative delivery vehicles and mutuals. The Cabinet Office's Mutual Support Programme is available to support probation staff to explore their options.
	The Ministry of Justice's consultation on plans for reforming the way in which offenders are rehabilitated in the community closed on 22 February. We will respond to the consultation and bring forward detailed plans in due course.

Victim Support Schemes

Robert Flello: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what meetings (a) he has and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with other organisations on the new Victims Code since September 2012.

Helen Grant: I have held two meetings with external organisations about the Victims' Code since September 2012: a roundtable meeting on 30 January 2013 with victims groups and stakeholders to canvass views on the revised code, and a roundtable meeting on 13 February 2013 with criminal justice agencies and advocacy organisations to consider how the system supports victims of sexual violence, and what role the Victims' Code can play in that support.
	As Victims Minister I meet regularly with victims groups and other stakeholders. I have discussed the Victims' Code with these groups, alongside a range of other issues, since September 2012. I will be launching a public consultation on a revised Victims' Code shortly and I intend to engage with stakeholders further during the consultation period.

Transport: North West

John Pugh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2013, Official Report, column 492W, on regional and local transport, which projects in the north west have received funding from his Department; and how much each such project has received.

Norman Baker: Government block grant funding to local authorities for integrated transport and highways maintenance is not ring fenced, and there is no requirement on local authorities to report on the individual projects these grants are used for. Therefore a complete picture is not available.
	Details of funding provided for specific local authority major schemes to local authorities in the north west can be provided, as follows:
	Of the programme of local authority major schemes approved by this Government, two schemes have been fully approved and are now receiving funding:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Scheme Total cost DFT funding 
			 Rochdale Interchange 11.5 7.0 
			 Manchester Cross City Bus 43.2 2.5 
		
	
	Other schemes in the north west which were already under construction at the last election, and on which this Government has continued to provide funding, are as follows:
	
		
			 £ million 
			 Scheme Total cost DFT funding 
			 A34 Alderley Edge Bypass 61.9 48.2 
			 Hall Lane (Liverpool) 16.8 15.3 
			 GM Urban Traffic Control 13.5 13.5 
			 Blackpool Tram Upgrade 100.3 66.9 
		
	
	
		
			 GM Highway Retaining Walls 45.3 40.5 
			 Edge Lane (Liverpool) 20.0 18.8 
			 Metrolink Extensions 744.0 396.4 
		
	
	The local authorities major schemes budget has also contributed some funding to the Highways Agency maintenance scheme at Bidston Moss Viaduct, Wirral.
	Funding being provided to north west local authorities for Local Sustainable Transport Fund projects over the period 2011 to 2015 is as follows:
	
		
			 Local authority LSTF project Funding (£ million) 
			 Blackburn with Darwen BwD CONNECT Project 1.452 
			 Cheshire East Growing Smarter Travel Choices in Crewe 3.509 
			 Cheshire West & Chester Connect to Jobs 4.578 
			 Cumbria Lake District Sustainable Visitor Transport Beacon Area 4.890 
			 Lancashire Targeting Key Growth Corridors 5.000 
			 Merseyside ITA Supporting Sustainable Access to Opportunity in Merseyside 24.867 
			 Sefton Sefton & West Lancashire Visitor Economy Project 1.550

Charities

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps the Government is taking to strengthen the charitable sector.

Nick Hurd: Although we recognise that these are tough times for the charitable sector, the Government is taking a range of steps to strengthen the sector. These include the £600 million Big Society Capital and the £20 million Investment and Contract Readiness Fund. We are also helping, ambitious voluntary and community organisations to access the capital they need to expand their services. Our £10 million Innovation in Giving Fund provides funding to support ideas that have the potential to create a step change in giving and the £20 million Social Action Fund supports the development of proven models of social action. Following Lord Hodgson's report Unshackling Good Neighbours we are addressing the burden of regulation that hampers charities and the recently announced Charitable Incorporated Organisation will introduce a new simple legal structure designed solely for charities.

Electronic Government

Jon Trickett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Government Digital Service (GDS); what discussions he has had with external organisations and individuals on the GDS in the last 12 months; and what steps he has taken to monitor the efficiency and effectiveness of the GDS.

Nick Hurd: Today 82% of adults in the UK are online and more and more of us are going online for shopping, banking, information and entertainment. But at the time of the last general election, government use of digital public services lagged far behind that of the private sector, despite the vast amounts of money poured into government technology.
	This Government was determined to do better and set up the Government Digital Service in 2011, with the aim of transforming government services so they are digital by default and focused on user need,
	In April 2012, we set up a Digital Advisory Board to support government deliver its commitment to provide high-quality public services online by default. Its role is to work with the Government Digital Service (GDS) and challenge Government to deliver better services for users.
	GDS has also published the Government's Digital Strategy and Digital Efficiency Report. The strategy sets out how government will redesign its digital services to make them straightforward and convenient so that all those who can use them prefer to do so. During the financial year 2012-13 GDS has saved at least £36 million by closing Directgov and BusinessLink and bringing Government services and information together under a single domain GOV.UK. Further estimated annual savings of at least £50 million are expected from the migration of departmental websites to GOV.UK. And in the first six months of this fiscal year GDS has enabled cross Government savings of at least £400 million by helping Government become a commissioner of IT instead of a buyer of IT. All of these changes could have been made by the last Administration.
	In line with the practice of previous Administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed. External meetings by ministers and senior officials are disclosed here:
	http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/ministerial-gifts-hospitality-travel-and-meetings-external-organisations

Government Departments: Location

Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2013, Official Report, column 253W, on Government departments: locations, which vanity properties were referred to in the original answer.

Chloe Smith: This Government has exited several costly leases within Central London which were entered into under the previous Government. In total this Government has saved the taxpayer a staggering £1 billion since the General Election by selling, exiting and getting out of unnecessary properties, leases and land. It would have been entirely possible for this to have happened under the previous Government.
	This Government does not believe that taxpayers should foot the bill for unnecessary properties. That's why in February 2013 the Department for International Development exited its leasehold address at 1 Palace Street. Though the building was undeniably impressive, the lease was expensive and unnecessary given the under-occupation of various properties in the area which the Government owns outright. Exiting the lease has saved the taxpayer £62.5 million.

Government Departments: Location

Diana Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer of 13 March 2013, Official Report, column 253W, on Government departments: locations, whether he has made an assessment of the potential benefits in (a) cost savings, (b) economic growth or (c) regeneration of moving staff of Government departments out of London to the regions.

Chloe Smith: There have been numerous studies on the benefits of relocation, both by the previous Conservative Government and the Government of which the hon. Lady was a Member. We recognise that the number of civil servants in Central London is higher than it needs to be. Relocation of staff out of expensive London offices to other regions continues to be high on the agenda, as an option to deliver the savings needed. However, the final location of posts in a Department is decided by its business and operational requirements.
	The Government Property Unit, in the Cabinet Office, is managing a programme of estate rationalisation across Central London in order to reduce the cost of offices and to make savings for the UK taxpayer. The Government's strategy is to consolidate its operations into freehold and PFI space where that is practical and cost-effective to do so. This has already resulted in the reduction of the Central Civil Estate in London by just over 432,900 sq m, or around 20% in the period from 1 May 2010 to 1 March 2013.

Public Sector: Mutual Societies

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will introduce legislative proposals to fully and permanently exempt parent bodies from having to open up to competitive tender the services they are commissioning from a spun-out public service mutual.

Chloe Smith: Public sector procurement is governed by EU directives, particularly Directive 2004/18/EC, as implemented in UK Regulations. Proposals for revisions to this directive are currently being negotiated in the EU and the Government is pursuing amendments to ensure more flexibility for employee-led organisations such as mutuals.

Developing Countries: Malaria

Margot James: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to ensure that (a) anti-malarial drugs and (b) mosquito nets reach the most at-risk groups in countries that receive support from her Department.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government is committed to help halve malaria deaths in at least 10 high burden countries between 2010 and 2015, and to sustain these gains into the future. Amongst other interventions the Department for International Development (DFID) directly supports the Affordable Medicines Facility for malaria (AMFm). The majority of those in the most-at-risk groups, including the poor, access their anti-malarial treatment from the private sector. AMFm responds to this by ensuring that high-quality, effective anti-malarial drugs in the private sector are subsidised to make them affordable to these most-at-risk groups.
	DFID's support to mosquito net programmes fully takes the most-at-risk groups into account. For example DFID's programme in the Democratic Republic of Congo takes steps to ensure mosquito nets are delivered free of charge to poor populations, and covers the costs of transport to homes in the most remote and inaccessible parts of the country.

Crisis Loans: Nottinghamshire

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total value was of crisis loans awarded in each local authority in Nottinghamshire in each year since 2009; and how many applications were accepted for a crisis loan in each such area in each such year.

Steve Webb: Tables 1-3 below give crisis loan applications, awards and expenditure in the local authorities in Nottinghamshire in 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 respectively.
	
		
			 Table 1: Crisis loan applications, awards and expenditure by Nottinghamshire local authorities in 2009-10 
			  Applications Awards Expenditure (£) 
			 Ashfield 4,200 3,180 294,500 
			 Bassetlaw 4,290 3,230 263,400 
			 Broxtowe 2,600 2,000 184,600 
			 Gedling 3,310 2,550 232,400 
			 Mansfield 5,520 4,140 344,700 
			 Newark and Sherwood 3,220 2,490 207,700 
			 Rushcliffe 1,460 1,160 100,700 
			 Nottinghamshire 24,610 18,760 1,627,900 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 2: Crisis loan applications, awards and expenditure by Nottinghamshire local authorities in 2010-11 
			  Applications Awards Expenditure (£) 
			 Ashfield 4,490 3,530 319,900 
			 Bassetlaw 4,500 3,510 295,300 
			 Broxtowe 2,760 2,220 190,200 
			 Gedling 3,460 2,750 230,900 
			 Mansfield 6,040 4,750 385,300 
			 Newark and Sherwood 3,360 2,710 203,200 
			 Rushcliffe 1,640 1,330 118,200 
			 Nottinghamshire 26,250 20,810 1,742,900 
		
	
	
		
			 Table 3: Crisis loan applications, awards and expenditure by Nottinghamshire local authorities in 2011-12 
			  Applications Awards Expenditure (£) 
			 Ashfield 3,660 2,960 193,200 
			 Bassetlaw 3,260 2,600 161,700 
			 Broxtowe 2,170 1,760 109,100 
			 Gedling 2,510 2,030 127,000 
			 Mansfield 4,750 3,860 244,700 
			 Newark and Sherwood 2,520 2,100 132,500 
			 Rushcliffe 1,330 1,090 64,300 
			 Nottinghamshire 20,190 16,400 1,032,600 
			 Notes: 1. The information provided is Management Information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official / National Statistics but in this case we only have Management Information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official / National statistics and there are some issues with the data; for example, it does not include applications which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the Social Fund Computer System. 2. Local authority figures have been produced by linking Social Fund Computer System data with the National Benefits Database to obtain the local authority the person lived in at the time of application. There are up to 7% of cases where we cannot link the records in this way. 3. All applications and awards figure are rounded to the nearest 10. Expenditure is rounded to the nearest £100.

Disability Living Allowance: Young People

Anne McGuire: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many young disabled people who are in receipt of disability living allowance are expected to be invited to be assessed for personal independence payment in the next 12 months as they reach the age of 16.

Esther McVey: DLA claimants reaching age 16 from 7 October 2013 onwards will be invited to claim PIP on reaching their 16th birthday. Those who have reached age 16 between April 2013 and October 2013 will be invited to claim PIP at a later date according the published reassessment strategy
	http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/pip-reassessments-and-impacts.pdf
	During any 12 month period around 34,000 DLA claimants reach age 16. This is the number of people who we would expect to invite to claim PIP on their 16th birthday between October 2013 and September 2014.
	Source:
	DWP Longitudinal Study May 2012.

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many employees (a) of his Department, (b) in each of his Department's benefit delivery centres and (c) in each jobcentre are decision makers for employment and support allowance.

Mark Hoban: holding answer 18 March 2013
	The information is as follows:
	(a) As at January 2013 there were 125 full-time equivalent staff performing decision making activities on employment and support allowance.
	(b) ESA decision making activities broken down by benefit delivery centre is as follows:
	
		
			  Number 
			 Benefits Directorate 125 
			 BCCE Bury St Edmunds BC 1 
			 BCCE Derby BC 2 
			 BCCE Handsworth BC 2 
			 BCCE Hanley BC 4 
			 BCCE Leicester BC 2 
			 BCCE Nottingham BC 2 
			 BCCE Peterborough BC 3 
			 BCCE Ravenhurst BC 1 
		
	
	
		
			 BCCE Walsall BC 2 
			 BCCE Wellingborough BC 1 
			 BCCE Wolverhampton BC 5 
			 BCCE Worcester BC 1 
			 BCLH Basildon BC 5 
			 BCLH Canterbury BC 1 
			 BCLH Hackney BC 1 
			 BCLH Stratford BC 2 
			 BCNE Barnsley BC 7 
			 BCNE Hull BC 5 
			 BCNE Leeds BC 2 
			 BCNE Newcastle BC 3 
			 BCNE Stockton BC 5 
			 BCNE Sunderland BC 4 
			 BCNW Birkenhead BC 4 
			 BCNW Bolton BC 9 
			 BCNW Oldham BC 2 
			 BCNW Preston BC 3 
			 BCSC Aberdeen BC 3 
			 BCSC Bathgate BC 4 
			 BCSC Clydebank BC 2 
			 BCSC Coatbridge BC 2 
			 BCSC Glasgow Northgate BC 7 
			 BCSC Greenock BC 2 
			 BCSC Kilmarnock BC 1 
			 BCSC Stirling DMU 3 
			 BCSE Chippenham BC 2 
			 BCSE Cosham BC 2 
			 BCSE Gloucester BC 1 
			 BCSE Plymouth BC 3 
			 BCSE St Austell BC 2 
			 BCSE Worthing BC 1 
			 BCWA Caerphilly BC 2 
			 BCWA Llanelli BC 2 
			 BCWA Merthyr Tydfil BC 2 
			 BCWA Merthyr Tydfil DMU 2 
			 BCWA Wrexham BC 3 
		
	
	(c) There is no ESA decision making activity in jobcentres.
	Source:
	Operational Activity Based Management Model 2012-13

Employment and Support Allowance

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications for employment and support allowance were processed within 16 days in each of the last four years; and in each case what proportion that represents of all the claims submitted.

Mark Hoban: The information available for employment and support allowance (ESA) new claims processed within 16 days, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 ESA Claims Processed April 2009 to March 2010 April 2010 to March 2011 April 2011 to March 2012 April 2012 to January 2013 
			 ESA claims processed in 16 days (number) 504,400 577,000 621,800 554,300 
			 ESA claims processed in 16 days(percentage) 72.9 81.0 84.5 82.7 
			 Source: Management Information System Programme (MISP). MISP is a departmental performance management, data capture and reporting tool. This type of internal management information does not form part of the official statistics outputs that are released by the Department in accordance with the UK Statistics Authority's Code of Practice.

Jobcentre Plus

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 18 March 2013, Official Report, column 489W, on Jobcentre Plus, what suggestions from staff of his Department have been (a) received by his Department and (b) incorporated into policy.

Mark Hoban: We do not collect information in the format requested. Staff make suggestions in wide range variety of ways, for example our Bright Ideas scheme. These feed into the design of any new or existing policies and processes on an ongoing basis.

Jobcentre Plus

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many internet access terminals have been placed in Jobcentre Plus offices to enable online submission of universal credit claims; and how much has been spent on providing such terminals in 2012-13 to date.

Mark Hoban: We are installing internet access devices (IADs) in our Jobcentres to help support those who don't have home access to the internet. At present, 706 sites have had IADs installed. In total this will provide 2,167 new IADs for our customers. Jobcentre staff will be available to provide claimants with any assistance required in using these devices.
	The total figure spent up to end of February 2013 is £711,407.92.

Social Security Benefits

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households will be affected by the benefit cap in (a) St Helens South and Whiston constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) England; and how many of those affected live in (i) social housing and (ii) private-rented housing.

Steve Webb: A breakdown of households affected by the benefit cap by parliamentary constituency has been placed in the library and can be found at:
	http://data.parliament.uk/DepositedPapers/Files/DEP2012-1587/LibraryDocument125527.pdf
	Please note that household numbers are rounded to the nearest 100. Areas with fewer than 100 households affected are denoted by “..”, as additional disclosure control has been applied to these areas. For this reason, figures will not sum to the total number of households affected in the July 2012 impact assessment for the household benefit cap. Due to these disclosure controls we are unable to state how many of those affected live in either social housing and/or private-rented housing.
	Around 900 households in Merseyside may be affected by the benefit cap, and around 40% of those affected live in social housing and 60% in private rented housing. Figures for Merseyside are based on a combined total of those affected in Liverpool, St Helens, Sefton, the Wirral and Knowsley local authorities.
	Around 52,000 households in England may be affected by the benefit cap, and of those affected around 55% live in social housing and 45% live in private rented housing.
	Please note as the benefit cap will be applied through a phased roll-out from 15 April 2013 and at a national level from 15 July 2013, at present no households have been affected by the cap. The figures are consistent with the impact assessment published on 16 July 2012. The figures in the table assume that the situation of these households will go unchanged, and they will not take any steps to either work enough hours to qualify for working tax credit, renegotiate their rent in situ, or find alternative accommodation. The Department is identifying and writing to all the households who are likely to be affected by the cap and we are offering advice and support through Jobcentre Plus, including, where appropriate, early access to the Work programme before the cap is introduced.
	The disregarding of housing costs for those in supported exempt accommodation announced in the autumn statement can not be allocated geographically therefore this has not been removed from the estimates presented here.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many sanctions have been imposed under the provisions of the Employment, Skills and Enterprise Regulations 2011 (a) in total and (b) on people on (i) jobseeker's allowance, (ii) employment and support allowance and (iii) other benefits in each year since their entry into force; and in respect of how many there has been (A) a reconsideration request and (B) an appeal.

Mark Hoban: Statistics on how many sanctions have been imposed on people on jobseeker's allowance in each year; and in respect of how many there has been (A) a reconsideration request and (B) an appeal for failing to participate in the following programmes; Work Programme, sector-based work academies, Skills Conditionality and New Enterprise Allowance can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance for users is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf
	Benefit sanctions imposed by the Employment Skills and Enterprise Regulations 2011 do not impact on recipients of employment and support allowance or other benefits other than jobseeker's allowance claimants.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what was the total amount of benefit withheld as a result of benefit sanctions in each of the last four years.

Mark Hoban: The table shows the total amount of jobseeker's allowance (JSA) withheld to the nearest £ million (in actual prices) as a result of fixed sanctions in each of the last four years up to 22 October 2012:
	
		
			  Benefit withheld from fixed JSA sanctions (£ million) 
			 2009-10 11 
			 2010-11 43 
			 2011-12 45 
			 2012-13 (to October 2012) 60 
		
	
	The total amount of benefit withheld as a result of benefit sanctions is interpreted here as the maximum benefit amount that claimants would have received if they had continued to be on benefit for the length of the sanction. Since some people would have flowed off benefit in the period of the sanction and that also they might have flowed off benefit had they not received a sanction, the figures calculated represent overestimates for the actual benefit that might have been withheld.
	This calculation is performed for both people aged under 25 and over 25-years-old to reflect different JSA rates.
	The calculation does not net the figures for hardship payments.
	The amount of benefit withheld as a result for employment support allowance sanctions is not available because the number of sanctions is not available for employment and support allowance (ESA) claimants. The sanctions regime for people on ESA in the Work Related Activity Group changed at the beginning of December 2012. As a result of the changes to the regime, the Department for Work and Pensions has reviewed its methodology for publishing ESA sanctions official statistics with a view to ensuring the publication remains relevant while also seeking to maintain a consistent time series.
	The amount of benefit withheld as a result of income support lone parent sanctions is not readily available because we do not have data on sanction duration between application of sanction and end of the sanction when the claimant re-complies.
	The amount of benefit withheld is not readily available for JSA varied sanctions. Data on duration of varied sanctions are of variable quality.
	Over half of the difference between amounts in 2009-10 and 2010-11 can be explained by application of the new fixed sanction for failure to attend an advisory interview from April 2010, which used to be a disentitlement.

Social Security Benefits

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many benefit sanctions issued in the most recent year for which data is available have been subject to a reconsideration request; how many such sanctions have been overturned on reconsideration; of those sanctions not overturned on appeal, how many have been subject to a subsequent appeal; and of those appeals, how many have been upheld.

Mark Hoban: The information is as follows:
	(a) Statistics on how many benefit sanctions, issued to jobseeker's allowance (JSA) claimants in the most recent year for which data are available, have been subject to a reconsideration request and how many such sanctions have been overturned on reconsideration can be found at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/index.php?page=tabtool
	Guidance for users is available at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/tabtools/guidance.pdf
	(b) Statistics for those sanctions in (a) not overturned on appeal, how many have been subject to a subsequent appeal; and of those appeals, how many have been upheld, are not readily available and to provide them would incur disproportionate cost.

Social Security Benefits: Learning Disability

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that moderate to mild learning difficulties in adults are recognised within (a) employment and support allowance and (b) the work capability assessment.

Mark Hoban: We are committed to supporting people with mental health conditions or learning difficulties to access the right benefits and the right support.
	Recognising that particular concerns have been raised about the way the work capability assessment (WCA) works for people with mental health conditions, Professor Harrington asked leading charities Mind, Mencap and the National Autistic Society to make recommendations to refine the mental, intellectual and cognitive descriptors used in the WCA as part of his second independent review.
	Professor Harrington agreed with us that further evidence was required to establish whether the charities' proposed descriptors would make the assessment fairer or more accurate, and recommended a 'gold standard' review. As such the Department has committed to conducting a systematic evidence based review (EBR) of the existing and proposed WCA activities and descriptors in order to make the WCA fairer and more accurate.
	Since summer 2012, DWP has worked extensively with the charities to ensure there is a single assessment that combines recommendations from the mental functioning and fluctuating conditions groups and that the descriptors are suitable for testing. We also have a steering group in place, chaired by Professor Harrington to oversee the review. We expect the testing of the alternative assessment to be in spring 2013 with a final report to be published later in the year.

Termination of Employment

Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) each of its non-departmental public bodies have left that body due to (i) resignation, (ii) retirement, (iii) redundancy, (iv) transferral to another public sector post and (v) another reason in each of the last five years.

Mark Hoban: The information for the Department for Work and Pensions is provided in the following table. All data is in financial years from 1 April to 31 March annually.
	
		
			  Reporting year 
			 Leaving reason 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Resignation 4,707 3,338 3,036 4,871 2,429 
			 Retirement 982 1,310 1,195 1,258 1,442 
			 Redundancy(1) 3,620 148 42 1,564 1,113 
			 Transferral to another public sector post 858 484 290 375 786 
			 Another reason 3,421 (2)13,791 3,222 3,493 5,751 
			 Grand total 13,588 19,071 7,785 11,561 11,521 
			 (1) The figures shown under the redundancy heading include all exits paid out of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme since 2007-08. This includes compensation paid through the use of voluntary exit schemes, voluntary redundancy and compulsory redundancy schemes. (2 )10,560 Child Support Agency (CSA) officials transferred from the Ministerial Department to the Child Maintenance Enforcement Commission (CMEC) when it was established in October 2008. 
		
	
	The information for the non-departmental public bodies is provided in the following tables. All data is in financial years from 1 April to 31 March annually.
	
		
			 Health and Safety Executive 
			  Reporting year 
			 Leaving reason 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Resignation 134 119 57 80 63 
			 Retirement 92 87 86 87 60 
			 Redundancy 0 0 0 3 21 
			 Transferral to another public sector post 55 102 42 13 17 
			 Another reason 36 54 39 222 39 
			 Grand total 317 362 224 405 200 
		
	
	
		
			 National Employment Savings Trust Corporation 
			  Reporting year 
			 Leaving reason 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Resignation 0 45 36 36 33 
			 Retirement 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			 Redundancy 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Transferral to another public sector post 0 35 36 16 16 
			 Another reason 0 0 18 45 46 
			 Grand total 0 80 90 97 95 
		
	
	
		
			 Pensions Ombudsman/Pension Protection Fund Ombudsman 
			  Reporting year 
			 Leaving reason 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Resignation 6 2 1 2 0 
			 Retirement 2 2 0 1 0 
			 Redundancy 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Transferral to another public sector post 1 0 2 0 4 
			 Another reason 9 6 3 3 6 
			 Grand total 18 10 6 6 10 
		
	
	
		
			 The Pensions Regulator 
			  Reporting year 
			 Leaving reason 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Resignation 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Retirement 0 6 3 2 1 
			 Redundancy 0 13 8 1 10 
			 Transferral to another public sector post 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Another reason 0 149 131 105 95 
			 Grand total 0 168 142 108 106 
		
	
	
		
			 The Pensions Advisory Service 
			  Reporting year 
			 Leaving reason 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Resignation 0 1 5 5 4 
			 Retirement 0 0 1 2 1 
			 Redundancy 0 0 0 2 0 
			 Transferral to another public sector post 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Another reason 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Grand total 0 1 6 9 5 
		
	
	
		
			 Remploy 
			  Reporting year 
			 Leaving reason 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Resignation 194 178 150 245 132 
			 Retirement 113 74 49 52 37 
			 Redundancy 1,436 586 83 70 733 
			 Transferral to another public sector post 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Another reason 365 317 267 641 435 
			 Grand total 2,108 1,155 549 1,008 1,337 
		
	
	
		
			 Independent Living Fund 
			  Reporting year 
			 Leaving reason 2007-08 2008-09 2009-10 2010-11 2011-12 
			 Resignation 8 14 7 7 0 
			 Retirement 2 0 3 2 0 
			 Redundancy 0 0 0 1 0 
			 Transferral to another public sector post 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Another reason 3 1 3 8 (1)46 
		
	
	
		
			 Grand total 13 15 13 18 46 
			 (1)All leavers for “Another reason” in 2011-12 left via Voluntary Exit Scheme, when the Independent Living Fund needed to reduce in size by 35%.

Unemployment: Young People

Pamela Nash: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have received Youth Contract wage subsidies since the launch of that scheme.

Mark Hoban: In most cases the wage incentive element of the Youth Contract is paid after a young person has been in work continuously for 26 weeks. Following the collection and quality assurance of this data, the first set of Official Statistics on the wage incentive should be available in the next few months.
	The Department is working to guidelines set by the UK Statistics Authority to ensure we publish statistics that meet high quality standards at the earliest opportunity.

Work Capability Assessment

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what formal qualifications in mental health are required to be held by Mental Function Champions before they embark on their role.

Mark Hoban: Health care professionals are not required to hold specialist qualifications in mental health conditions. As part of their induction training all health care professionals receive training in mental health issues.
	Mental Function Champions are selected from within the ranks of Atos Healthcare professionals based on their previous mental health experience and proven experience as a disability analyst. All mental function champions receive additional facilitated training on mental health topics and are expected to maintain their subject expertise through continuous professional development.

Work Capability Assessment

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many work capability assessment cases were decided, and what number of claims were (a) rejected, (b) approved on the basis of an ATOS assessment and (c) approved after consideration of additional information in the most recent month for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Hoban: Decisions on entitlement to ESA rest solely with the Department's decision makers taking into account the medical assessment reports from Atos and any other relevant information.
	The Department regularly publishes official statistics on work capability assessment outcomes for employment and support allowance and incapacity benefits reassessment. Statistics on whether additional information was taken into consideration by the decision maker when making their decision on eligibility for employment and support allowance is not available.
	The publications can be found here:
	Employment and Support Allowance:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_wca
	Incapacity Benefits Reassessment:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/workingage/index.php?page=esa_ibr

Credit: Databases

Chuka Umunna: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what date he expects the small and medium-sized enterprises credit database to be operational; and what deadlines, benchmarks and timetables he or his officials have set for that process.

Greg Clark: The Government has committed to investigate options for improving access to SME credit data to make it easier for newer lenders to assess loans to smaller businesses.
	The Government is currently carrying out further analysis into this issue and will provide an update once this work has reached a conclusion.

Financial Services: Advisory Services

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the introduction of the proposals in the Retail Distributive Review on the ability of low net worth investors to obtain affordable independent financial advice.

Sajid Javid: The Financial Service Authority's Retail Distribution Review aims to raise the professional standards of advisers, improve the clarity with which firms describe their services to consumers and make clear the cost of investment advice—addressing the commonly held perception that advice is free.
	For a significant group of consumers, including low net worth individuals, it may not be justifiable for them to pay for advice based on the amount they have to invest. For these consumers, generic, free advice services, including the Money Advice Service, will remain a useful source of guidance, enabling consumers to make informed decisions about their finances.

Haemolytic Uraemic Syndrome

Virendra Sharma: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from the Secretary of State for Health on funding decisions for eculizumab for treatment of atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome.

Danny Alexander: The Chancellor has not received any representations from the Secretary of State for Health on funding decisions for eculizumab for treatment of atypical haemolytic uremic syndrome.

Individual Savings Accounts: Children

Dominic Raab: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential effects of (a) levels of charges and (b) rates of interest on the savings of children with (i) child trust funds and (ii) junior ISAs;
	(2)  is taking to ensure that children with child trust funds are not financially disadvantaged relative to those with junior ISAs;
	(3)  for what reasons parents whose children have child trust funds are not allowed to transfer such funds into junior ISAs.

Sajid Javid: The Government keeps all matters relating to tax-advantaged children's saving accounts under review, and has ensured that children with Child Trust Fund (CTF) accounts are not disadvantaged by increasing the CTF subscription limit to equal the Junior ISA limit. The Government wants to support parents by ensuring that there continues to be a clear and simple way to save for all children, and will therefore consult on options for transferring savings held in CTFs into Junior ISA.

Statutory Sick Pay

Shaun Woodward: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people received statutory sick pay in (a) St Helens South and Whiston constituency, (b) Merseyside and (c) England in each of the last three years; and what the duration was of each such claim.

Mark Hoban: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	Individual employers meet the cost of statutory sick pay for their employees. The information you requested is not collected by Government Departments.